


His Biggest Mistake

by texasbrown2018



Category: Original Work
Genre: Drama, F/M, Original Character(s), Romance, Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-29 15:47:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17206250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/texasbrown2018/pseuds/texasbrown2018
Summary: Caleb's biggest mistake haunts him every day. Mia, the love of his life, is gone, and it's all his fault.I had been imagining Mia, her dark waves splayed over the pillow beneath her head as I moved over her. I was pretending the sounds coming from Brittany (Brianna?) were Mia’s instead, and that she wanted this just as much as I did. I made the mistake of opening my eyes, hoping to get a glimpse of the ecstasy on Mia’s face, when I found Brittany (or was it Brianna? Damn, I really needed to pay attention more when picking up strangers in the club), looking up at me. She looked like she was trying to analyze me; my expressions and sounds, and it made me uncomfortable. It also brought me back to reality; I wasn’t with Mia anymore and no amount of pretending she was here with me would bring her back.





	1. Caleb

“Fuck” I moaned, my hands locked on her wrists, pinning them to either side of her head. I looked down at the hot blonde beneath me, her blue eyes bright and watching me. _Close your damn eyes_ , I thought to myself, instead choosing to close my own. Anything to block out her face, and the fact that I was screwing my fourth girl in as many days. I had been about to explode inside her, until I opened my eyes to see her watching me, tiny moans escaping her parted lips, ones that I expected were there just to fill the silence. 

_Was she even enjoying this?_

I had been imagining Mia, her dark waves splayed over the pillow beneath her head as I moved over her. I was pretending the sounds coming from Brittany (Brianna?) were Mia’s instead, and that she wanted this just as much as I did. I made the mistake of opening my eyes, hoping to get a glimpse of the ecstasy on Mia’s face, when I found Brittany (or was it Brianna? Damn, I really needed to pay attention more when picking up strangers in the club), looking up at me. She looked like she was trying to analyze me; my expressions and sounds, and it made me uncomfortable. It also brought me back to reality; I wasn’t with Mia anymore and no amount of pretending she was here with me would bring her back. At the realization, my dick went soft. I sighed and pulled out of her, rolling on to my back, not attempting any sort of conversation or providing an explanation. 

“Well that was…” Kayla (her name was Kayla I realized with a burst of clarity) said, sitting up on her elbows. She gazed over at me, annoyance on her face. 

“Yeah, well, my heart wasn’t in it” I huffed, instantly getting defensive. I had to protect my manhood. “You can go now, by the way. I have an early start tomorrow and need to get some rest”. I swung my legs to the side of the bed, my back to her, waiting for her to leave. I gazed over my shoulder when I didn’t feel any movement, or hear the rustling of the sheets. 

“You drove me here Caleb” she said, her voice spiking. I could tell she was quickly losing patience; this night hadn’t panned out like she thought it would. “What do you want me to do, walk home?” I had no idea where she lived, and didn’t care to. I just wanted her out of my apartment; the smell of her perfume and of sex crowded my senses, and I started to feel nauseous. 

“I’ll call you a cab” I said, pushing up off the bed. Grabbing a pair of sweatpants off the floor, I walked towards the bathroom. “Thanks for tonight. It was fun.” I shut the door to the bathroom, her bewildered face the last thing I saw. 

 

*********

I stood in the bathroom, my ear pressed against the door. I strained to hear any sound from Kayla. _Was she gone?_ I called her a cab over an hour ago, but I hadn’t heard her leave. I cracked the door and peered through, relief washing over me when I saw the empty room. Opening the door the rest of the way, I stepped out, stopping after a few steps to stare at the bed. The sheets were twisted, the duvet in a heap on the floor. Kayla’s lacy thong still hung off the headboard. _Had she really decided to leave without it?_ I grimaced as I walked over and picked it up between the tips of my fingers, depositing it into the trash can at the side of my bed. The same trash can that still held all the used condoms from the past week. 

I looked at it in disgust before kicking it over. I felt like shit, and I knew I looked like shit too. It was all Mia’s fault. If she hadn’t walked out on me, I wouldn’t be in this position. I wouldn’t be trying to replace her with random girls at the bar; girls who didn’t care about conversation or getting to know me. That was the problem with trying to find someone worth knowing; they all wanted me for my name, and everything that came with it. 

That’s the downside to being famous, the part no one tells you about. Once you become a household name, someone everyone _thinks_ they know, they stop trying to actually get to know you. I sighed, grabbing my laptop and heading out of the bedroom. Despite all the vodka I drank at the club earlier, I grabbed a beer out of the fridge and plopped down on the couch. Grabbing the remote, I put on whatever Monday night football game was on, only wanting the sound. I opened my computer and sucked in a deep breath. 

No matter how many times I opened my laptop, the background photo of Mia and I always surprised me. The photo brought me back to better times. Our faces were pressed close together, and Mia’s green eyes were lit with happiness. Her mouth was open in a laugh, exposing all of her perfectly straight white teeth. I had been in the process of telling a joke, her smile captured on film for all to see. The photo was taken six months earlier in Colorado. I had surprised her with a trip to Vail. She’d always wanted to go skiing for Christmas. 

Ignoring the tightness in my chest, I clicked to the Outlook app on my screen, knowing I needed to catch up on emails. My agent had been sending me leads for new gigs; tv pilots, movies, and short independent films. None of them appealed to me, but I knew I needed to audition for something if I wanted to stay relevant. 

I browsed through a few emails from Andy the Agent (I never called him anything different, despite him hating the nickname ‘Andy’), and responded quickly to one, giving him the go ahead to book an audition. I had no idea what is was for, but the title _“Broken-hearted in Brooklyn”_ seemed to fit my demeanor these days. I kept scrolling, ready to call it quits before one caught my eye. My heartbeat quickened when I saw her name. I checked the date and time. Mia had sent the email only thirty minutes ago. I clicked on it, quickly scanning the words before forcing myself to slow down and to start again at the beginning. 

_Caleb,_ she wrote. _Please stop trying to get in touch with me. I’ve changed my number, blocked you on social media, and all my friends know not to respond to you. The next step is filing a restraining order. I thought I made it perfectly clear that we’re done, and that I want nothing to do with you. What you did is disgusting and cannot be forgiven. You have no one to blame but yourself._

_If you really love me still like you say, then leave me alone. Maybe one day this will all get easier, and we can both move on._

_Mia_

I reread the email several times before slamming my laptop shut. I had really fucked things up.


	2. Caleb

“Yeah, just like that. Don’t stop. Oh god Caleb, fu--” I put my hand over her mouth as I thrust into her, harder and rougher, determined to fuck her speechless. Erica (I mentally applauded my ability to remember this one’s name) was vocal during sex, something that drove me crazy. It’s as if she thought I needed encouragement to keep going, as if her constant moaning and dirty talk was a turn on. In fact, it had the opposite effect. 

Once again, I felt my thoughts turning to Mia, who always knew exactly what I’d needed to hear during sex. I was determined to focus on her memory in order to get myself to orgasm. I barked out a laugh, which Erica took as a groan, and wiggled out from beneath my hand, her eyes sparkling with purpose. “You like that, yeah? You like when I talk dirty to you?” She licked her lips dramatically in an attempt to be sexy, and I closed my eyes again, not wanting to see more. The laugh that she mistook for pleasure had been directed at myself. It seemed the only way I’d been able to have any sort of release since Mia left was to think about her. 

I thought about the first time we’d had sex, feeling myself relax slightly at the memory. 

_I kissed her neck, loving her smell and the way her skin tasted. How was it possible that she could always smell this good? Like a spring meadow and vanilla. It was intoxicating. She was lying beneath me in the hotel bed, the crisp white sheets pulled tightly across the mattress. I moved my hand from beside her head to rest on the other side of her neck, rubbing softly before trailing it down her body. I cupped her left breast, teasing her nipple between my finger and thumb, squeezing and pulling gently. She still had on her bra, and wore a thin camisole. It was a perfect shade of pink that matched the pink of her cheeks. She moaned softly and arched into my hand, her arms splayed above her head on the mountains of pillows. I moved my hand lower, under her shirt, splaying it across the taught muscles of her stomach. I moved my mouth to her nipple, replacing where my fingers had been a moment before. I bit down hard and she gasped, arching into me once again. I laughed lightly before gazing up at her._

_“You like that? You like when I’m rough?” I’d intended my voice to come out sexy and dominating, but instead, it was gravely, evidence of how turned on I was. Her only response was to moan again, so quiet I almost missed it._

_I moved my head lower, lifting her shirt to kiss her stomach. Her skin was satin underneath my lips, and I could smell the spring meadow and vanilla scent of her here too. I wondered briefly if it was her body wash or perfume, or if this was just her natural scent. I sat up then on my knees, pushing myself between her legs, reaching for the buttons on her white shorts. She watched me, her normally bright green eyes dark with desire. I pulled them down her tanned legs, noticing how defined and toned they were. Her calf muscles were strong, proof of her dancing career. She raised her hips slightly to help me, then sat up and wriggled out of her shirt. She reached behind her to unhook her bra, and I watched, mesmerized at how comfortable she was. There didn’t seem to be any sort of apprehension; she knew what she wanted._

_She pulled the straps of her bra down her arms, and discarded it over the side of the bed, before laying back down. I looked down at her, laying below me in just her underwear, the same pink satin as her camisole._

_I dipped my head, taking her nipple in my mouth again, this time without any fabric in the way. I licked and sucked, using my teeth to apply pressure gently. My right hand played with the nipple of her other breast, and I could feel her chest rising and falling with each breath she took. Her moans were still soft, but coming more frequently. Her hands came to rest in my hair, guiding me and holding me in place._

_I’d always been pretty good at sex, or so I’d been told. I knew I could make her come just by doing this, but what fun was that? I trailed my lips down her torso, kissing and sucking the soft skin as I went. Her breath hitched when I reached the top of her underwear. I could tell she wanted this; she wanted me to continue. I pulled myself up to my knees once again and hooked my fingers in the fabric, pulling them down her legs. I discarded them on the floor next to her bra, and then reached for the hem of my own shirt._

_In one swift move, I had it over my head and on the floor, covertly watching for her reaction. I saw her suck in a small breath, and watched as her eyes traveled over my body. I worked hard for this body; countless hours in the gym and a strict diet that Andy the Agent insisted on. I was toned and tanned, two things girls loved. She continued to watch me as I kicked off my shorts and boxers in one quick move, and I didn’t miss the way her eyes grew wide before she looked up to meet my own._

_I suppressed a smirk. While I worked to maintain a perfect body as part of my image, I’d never had to worry about the size of my cock. What can I say? I’d been blessed._

_I lowered myself on top of her, meeting her lips with my own, slipping my tongue inside her warm mouth to briefly touch hers. Dammit, how did she manage to_ taste _like a spring meadow and vanilla as well? I deepened the kiss, biting her bottom lip before pulling it into my mouth. I held myself up on a elbow propped beside her head, and let my other hand trail slowly down her body until I reached her pussy. She was drenched. I circled my pad of my middle finger around her clit, and she jolted, surprising herself._

_“Sorry” she whispered, even though neither of us knew what she was apologizing for. I continued to kiss her, licking and nibbling on her lip. They were soft, but firm, and she kissed me back. I could feel her trembling beneath me, anticipation and want coursing through her._

_I slipped my middle finger inside her and stifled a groan. She was so warm and tight. She clenched around my finger, and this time, the groan sipped past my lips. I wanted it to be my cock inside of her, feeling the tightness and warmness, but I continued to take things slow._

_Her breaths were coming faster as I moved my finger in and out, and she broke away from our kiss. She wasn’t able to concentrate on the feeling of my finger inside her and kissing me at the same time. I slipped another finger inside and began working them in and out, speeding up a bit, returning my lips to her neck._

_“Fuck Mia. You’re so wet and tight. I can’t wait to feel you around my cock.”_

_She moaned again, this time louder, and bucked her hips around my fingers. I pulled them out swiftly, and her eyes opened in surprise. She watched me anxiously, not understanding my abrupt exit as I lowered my head between her legs._

_I could smell her scent, and was surprised at how much I liked it. I could smell vanilla and pure sex, and I wanted to taste it more than anything. It did crazy things to my cock; I could feel myself growing hard and told myself it was only a matter of time before I got my release._

_I licked her clit and she let out a whimper. Her hands found my hair again, and she opened her legs wider, trying to get closer to my lips. I licked her again, harder, before closing my lips over her. She arched into my mouth, and let out a moan that traveled down her body. I felt it on my lips, and decided I needed to make her moan like that again. I sucked and licked, wanting to bring her to the edge. I slid two fingers back inside her again pumping hard and fast, and she moaned again at the unexpected act._

_She was moaning, her fingers pulling my hair, her hips moving wildly beneath me and I knew she was close. I pulled my fingers out of her, and trailed my lips back up her body before kissing her again. I broke away briefly. “Taste yourself Mia. See how good you taste?” I whispered. She moaned again, pressing the full length of her body against mine. I knew what she wanted, but I wanted her to tell me._

_“Tell me what you want Mia” I growled in her ear. I was nestled between her legs, my cock resting against her pussy. I could feel her wetness on my skin._

_“You” she gasped out, surprised by my demand._

_“Be specific.” I growled again, letting my cock press against her._

_“You, inside me” she said this time, hesitant. I could tell she wasn’t used to this; she wasn’t used to any of it. I knew for a fact she was a virgin._

_“Your wish is my command” I said, grabbing the back of her knee and hooking it over my hip. I put my cock at her entrance and pressed slowly, trying to read her face for any sort of hesitation. Her eyes were closed, and she arched her hips, trying to get closer. I pushed in even further and she gasped._

_“Okay?” I asked softly, pausing._

_She moaned. “Don’t stop” she pleaded._

_I continued moving, feeling her stretch around me. I pushed until I couldn’t anymore, and stopped, staying still. She moaned again, and then opened her eyes to look at me. “Fuck. Mia. I... You’re so tight. I… I need to move.” She moved her hips in response, trying to get closer. I pulled out of her completely before moving back in. Once again, I felt the warmth of her, and felt my mind going cloudy. Holy hell. This felt so fucking good. I tried to remind myself to be slow, but I knew it was going to be a challenge._

_I pulled out again, this time returning to her with a little more force. Her moan against my neck was encouraging, and I kept going. In and out, her warmth and tightness surrounding me. Soon, I was pumping furiously. I couldn’t stop myself._

_I pushed myself to my knees and grasped her hips, pulling her against me each time I thrust inside. She took each inch of my massive cock inside her, her only response her moans. She raised both of her hands to her breasts and began to play with her nipples. At the sight, I felt myself begin to unravel._

_“Get there Mia. I’m gonna come, but I need you to get there first”. With those words alone, her arms went to her sides, her hands fisting the sheets at her side. She moaned, then gasped, and I felt her body begin to tense._

_“Caleb, oh my god”. She was breathless, and I watched as she arched her neck, her head pressing back into the pillows. “Caleb!” she screamed, coming apart around me. It was then that I let myself go._

At that memory, I felt the beginnings of my orgasm at the base of my spine. It traveled quickly around to the pit of my stomach, and then to the base of my cock where I exploded hot cum into the condom. 

“Fuck!” I yelled, my hands on Erica’s hips the same way they had been on Mia’s in my memory. I thrust hard into her one more time then collapsed on top of her. My breathing was ragged, and it took a minute for me to catch my breath. As I rolled off of her, a slow grin spread across my face. It disappeared quickly though as I noticed Erica’s scowl. “What?” I asked. “It wasn’t good?”. 

She barked out a laugh. “It was good for one of us!” she exclaimed, pushing herself up and over the edge of the bed. She grabbed her shirt and yanked it on, before standing up. She looked around hastily for her underwear and pants, finding them in a heap by the door. As she walked over and yanked them on as well, realization hit me. 

“Oh shit” I said. “You didn’t…?” 

“No, I didn’t Caleb. And for the record, my name is Erica, not Mia.” She threw me a withering look before she yanked open my bedroom door and walked out, slamming it shut behind her. It wasn’t until I heard the front door of my apartment slam shut as well that I realized I’d been moaning Mia’s name the entire time.


	3. Caleb

“This may be the stupidest fucking movie ever created” I murmured, ducking my head to avoid the paparazzi across the street. I climbed into the back of the Escalade, glad to be out of site of everyone, thanks to the blacked out windows. 

“What was that?” Andy the Agent glanced up from the screen of his iPhone, sliding onto the seat next to me. 

“Do you really think this movie will be a hit? The reading of the script was fine, but there’s not much material there. The last thing I need right now for my career is a flop.” 

Andrew Menning, the one and only agent I’d ever had, clicked off his phone and shoved it into his jacket pocket. “Caleb, have I ever led you in the wrong direction?” he asked, raising his shoulders and tilting his head. He was right; I’d landed a few small roles in commercials at the age of sixteen thanks to my mother, Sarah, who put my dreams before her own. She believed in me and pushed me to be the best actor I could be when no one else saw potential. She sent my highlight reels around to every agent she could think of before Andy the Agent returned her call, requesting a meeting. 

I had to give it to him - my career skyrocketed as soon as he came into the picture. For some unknown reason, he saw potential in me too, and hadn’t stopped until I reached the top. Besides my mother, and later on Mia, he was the only person in my life I depended on. I’d been cast in a lead role at the age of 18, and things had only gone up from there. For the past seven years, he’d been fighting my battles for me and getting me roles in all the big hits. 

“The last conversation I had with your mother was me promising that I’d take care of you” he said softly. I looked over at him. He never spoke about my mom, knowing how much it pained me to hear stories about her. “I promised that I’d look out for not only your career, but your wellbeing, and make sure you were happy.” He paused, thinking something through. I could see his emotions passing over his face. It wasn’t common that he was serious. I sat up a little straighter as he continued. “I know since Mia left you haven’t been happy, but you can’t keep going like you are. You’re starting to get a play-boy image, and that’s not what we’ve worked for. Your mother wouldn’t like the person you’ve become”. He stared at me, and I felt shame flush over me. He was right. 

I started to speak. “I kn--”. The ringing of his phone cut me off. He held up a finger as he fished it back out of his pocket and held it up to his ear. 

“Menning” he barked, turning to look out the window. 

I tuned out the rest of his conversation, turning my head against the cool glass of the window. I knew I had to get my shit together. It just felt impossible to do without Mia in my life, even if I knew it was my fault she was no longer in it. 

I sighed, closing my eyes, and forced myself to remember the moment I first saw her. 

_“Dude, you’re so full of shit. All this fame has gone to your head.” Ryan laughed and shoved another handful of peanuts into his mouth, chasing it down with another gulp of his beer._

_“It’s not my fault the ladies love all this” I said, rubbing my hands up and down my body, throwing him a wink. Ryan and I had been friends since ninth grade. He was one of the few people who still treated me like a normal person after I became famous. He was also a link to my mom, now that she was gone._

_He laughed again. “Again, you’re full of shit. You don’t have as much game as you think you do”._

_I picked up my beer and took a drink, throwing him a smirk when I was done. “That sounds like a challenge”._

_“It could be!” he replied, sitting up straighter. He glanced around before his eyes focused on something over my shoulder. “I bet you can’t get Mia Rightman to sleep with you”. He gestured behind me with his beer bottle._

_I turned slightly and glanced over my shoulder. A small brunette was leaning against the bar, laughing at something the bartender was saying, before turning her attention back to the girl beside her. “Wait, Rightman? Is that Alex Rightman’s little sister?” I threw him an incredulous look._

_“The one and only” he said, smirking before nodding in her direction. I turned around and watched her again, this time with new eyes. I’d come home to Winterset, population ‘no one’. A small town in Iowa, it was a wonder I’d ever escaped. Ryan and I had come to have a beer at one of the few bars in town, and I wasn’t surprised we bumped into a few people I knew from high school._

_Mia’s brother had graduated high school with Ryan and I. A Grade-A douche, we’d chosen to limit our interactions with him, which was hard in such a small town, especially since we had all been on the same football team. Ryan was able to tolerate Alex more than I was back then, and to my surprise, they’d actually struck up a sort of friendship after I’d left._

_Mia had been two years behind us, only a sophomore when we were seniors. It wasn’t normal to hang out with anyone younger than you at the time, so we’d done our best to ignore her, just as much as we’d tried to ignore her brother._

_“Good one” I said, narrowing my eyes at him._

_“What? You said that no one could resist you, and that you’d have no problem getting anyone to sleep with you”. He shrugged. “She counts as anyone in my book”.  
_

__

__

_“You’re serious?” I asked, staring at him. He shrugged again. “Dude, you know she’s a virgin!”._

_“Well, then there’s your challenge”. He laughed again before slapping me on the shoulder._

I jolted as the car came to a stop. “We’re here” my agent said, opening his own door before climbing out. I sighed before slipping on my sunglasses and opening my own door. 

_I guess I’m the Grade-A douche now_ , I thought.


	4. Mia

“You need to eat something. You’re starting to wither away before my very eyes.” 

I sighed as Ruthie set down a sandwich in front of me. “Thanks Ruthie” I replied, not making an effort to touch it. 

She let out a sigh of her own. “Mia, it’s been three weeks since you’ve been home. Are you ever going to tell me what happened? I thought you were happy in New York?”. 

_I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry_. I recited my new mantra in my head before looking up at my aunt. “Nothing happened. I just needed a chance to unwind. A vacation of sorts, I guess you could call it”. I shrugged my shoulders and began picking at the crust of the bread. 

She barked out a laugh. “Right. You’ll have to forgive me if I don’t believe you. No one comes to Winterset for a ‘vacation’. Especially looking as horrible as you do”. She stood behind me know, and her hands rested on my shoulders. “Honey, you don’t have to tell me, even though I’m dying to know. I just want to make sure you’re okay, and right now, I can see that you’re not. Please, eat something”. Her voice was pleading. 

Mumbling under my breath about overbearing family, I picked up the sandwich and took a small bite. She patted my shoulder before stepping away to the sink, victory in her touch. She began to hum as she washed dishes, a sound as familiar to me as my own voice. My aunt, the woman who raised me after mama had passed away, was worried about me, and she had every right to be. Since being home, I’d barely eaten anything. On the days I managed to get out of bed, I just lounged around, watching trashy tv. 

I could feel myself deteriorating. The dancer’s body I had once worked so hard for was starting to ‘wither away’ as Ruthie had stated. My once toned muscles were becoming flabby and nonexistent, and I noticed dark circles under my eyes that I didn’t think would ever go away. 

Who knew heartbreak actually hurt this much? 

Even though it was the last thing I wanted to think about, my thoughts turned to Caleb. I wondered what he was doing right now. How he was feeling? Did he have dark circles under his eyes too? Was it having problems eating? I laughed to myself. No - he was probably just fine; smug even, over the bet he had won with Ryan. 

Before storming out of his apartment for the last time, I’d asked him what he’d gotten from this bet. What was so important to him about winning that he’d been willing to sacrifice my love and trust. He’d had no answer. It was then that I’d realized it had all been pretend for him. It had all been a game. He didn’t actually love or care about me. He didn’t care that he was losing my trust, or even that he was losing me. 

Even all the calls, texts and emails since then had been about him. He’d apologized the first couple of times he’d reached out, but it was only a gateway for the real reason he was trying to contact me. He wanted me to sign an NDA. He actually wanted me to sign a fucking nondisclosure agreement about our relationship. He was looking out for himself, trying to make sure I didn’t leak to the press just how much of an ass he really was. He’d do anything to keep his image in place.


	5. Caleb

“Any word from Mia?” I looked at Amber, my newest assistant, hating the hopeful look I could feel on my face. I hated the pity on hers even more. 

She shook her head. “Her number has been disconnected Mr. Reinhart. Do you have another number you want me to try?”. 

I didn’t bother to answer. She stood by my chair, waiting for my answer before finally taking the hint of my silence and walking away briskly. I sighed. She had yet to learn what annoyed me, seeing at it was only her first week on the job. My old assistant had been very fond of Mia, and had quit unexpectedly as soon as she discovered what had transpired between us. I didn’t blame her. 

I looked at myself in the mirror, waiting on the makeup artist to arrive. Another movie premier, which meant another night that I’d be in the spotlight trying to act the part. The part of the 25-year old movie star, happy and content with his fame and all the money it had brought him. What would people think if I admitted I was on the down and outs? I could see the headlines now. _'Poor little rich boy.'_

I hated coming to these things. Especially since I knew I had nothing to go home to afterwards. Sasha appeared by my side, a frown on her perfectly made up face. “You look like shit”. 

“Gee, thanks Sasha. Ever so kind with your words, eh?” I gave her a rueful smile. Sasha was known for being blunt with all of her customers, and I was apparently no different. I’d seen her a few times before, when I admittedly looked my best. 

“No, seriously. You look like shit. What’s going on with you?” She stood in front of me, makeup brushes in her hand, staring at my face. I could tell she was trying to figure out how to get rid of the dark circles and hollow cheeks. 

“I’ve just had a lot on my mind lately”. I didn’t need to offer her any explanation. 

“Well, lucky for you, even when you look like shit, you still manage to pull it off.” With that, she began her work. 

I closed my eyes, trying to block it all out. 

**** 

_“Caleb! Caleb, where’s your girlfriend? Where’s Mia?”_

_“Caleb! Are you officially back on the market? Are you single?”_

_“Caleb! Can you confirm that your girlfriend has been cheating on you? We have photos of her kissing another man. Is that why she’s not here tonight?”_

I stopped abruptly on the red carpet and glared at the man holding the microphone in my direction. My sudden attention on him seemed to encourage him to continue. “Caleb, can you confirm if you’re recently single? ACE has photos that show your girlfriend in an intimate embrace with another man, timestamped just three days ago. Is that why she’s not here with you now? Was she cheating?” He pushed the microphone back in my direction, fully expecting a response. 

ACE Media Productions, the sleaziest tabloid on the market. Whatever photos they had were probably doctored. Or he was lying completely. 

Without replying, I turned, continuing my walk down the carpet towards the entrance of the theater. My new movie premiered tonight and the last thing I needed was any distractions. I maneuvered around the other people strolling down the aisle, smiling politely for the obligatory photos with the rest of the cast before slipping inside. 

I shook a few more hands and gave more polite smiles before finding a dark corner where I could get a few minutes alone. I pulled my phone out of my pocket. Opening up a new webpage, I searched for ACE Media Productions. Clicking on their homepage, I scrolled down a few beats before stopping. I had to suck in my breath, reminding myself I was in public, where someone was always watching. 

There on the screen was a photo of Mia, her hands resting on the broad shoulders of a man sitting in front of her. She stood between his legs, his hands on her hips. He was smiling up at her, and she seemed to be in the middle of speaking. I touched the screen, swiping to get to the next photo. Again, it was Mia and the same man, still in the same position, but this time, she was bent slightly, her lips touching his. His arms were fully around her waist, her arms around his neck. I swiped the screen again, not wanting to see more, but not able to stop. The third and final picture was of Mia and the man standing, beginning to walk away from where they had been sitting. Their hands were linked, and they were both laughing at something. 

I felt sick. There was a pit in my stomach, and my knees felt weak. I hated seeing her kissing someone else, hated seeing someone else put a smile on her face. But the worst part of the whole thing, was who she was kissing. 

I clicked the home button on my phone, then the phone button, punching in Ryan’s number; one I knew from heart after our many years of friendship. It felt like a punch in the gut, but I knew for certain that the pictures hadn’t been doctored. They were real. 

“Pick up, pick up, pick up” I muttered, cursing under my breath when my call went to voicemail. I took a deep breath, preparing myself to head back out to the premier when my phone vibrated in my hand. I looked down and saw Ryan’s name. 

“Ryan” I answered. 

“Hey bro, sorry - I got to my phone a second too late. You called?” He sounded out of breath, as if he had been running a marathon… or having sex. 

“Yeah, I did. You fucking prick. You’re scum, you hear me? Fucking scum. Rot in hell”. I ended the call and shoved it back into my pocket. I needed to get out of here. I knew there was no way I could go through with the premier. I also knew that for the rest of my life, I’d never be able to get the image of Ryan and Mia kissing in the town square in Winterset out of my head.


	6. Mia

I could hear Ruthie downstairs making breakfast. The smell of bacon drifted under my closed door and surrounded me, making my stomach growl. I rolled over onto my side and pulled the duvet higher, trying to ignore what my body was telling me - _you’re hungry; get up and eat!_

My phone buzzed on the nightstand beside me for the fourth time in under a minute, but I continued to ignore it. I knew who it was. Ryan. _Ryan. Of all people. What the hell had I done?_ I was mad at Caleb for what he had done to me, but I wasn’t a vengeful person. Kissing Ryan (and that’s all it had been - a kiss) had been a mistake. I was down and feeling sorry for myself, and he had been there. 

When he found out I was back in Winterset, he had reached out. Being Caleb’s best friend, of course he knew what had happened between us. He knew what Caleb had done, and he was appalled. He was checking in to make sure I was okay, and we agreed to meet up. The town square was where everyone got together, but that day, it had been deserted. It was cold; the November air crisp and bitter around us. We’d had a nice talk. I was able to open up and talk about everything I was feeling. He’d let me go on and on, and had been understanding. 

I sighed and rolled over onto my back again, unable to get comfortable, and thought back to a few days prior, to my conversation with Ryan. 

_“Hey you”. Ryan stood up from the bench he had been sitting on and greeted me when he saw me approaching._

_“Hey” I responded, stopping in front of him. Without hesitation, he leaned in to hug me. He wrapped his arms around me and held me close, seeming to know without me saying anything that I could really use some form of comfort right then. When I pulled away, he looked down at me and smiled._

_“How you holding up?” he asked, sitting down again and patting the space next to him._

_I sat down beside him and shrugged. “Oh you know, great. Heartbroken and living back at home for the time being, but everything’s just wonderful!”._

_He chuckled at my sarcasm. “Still got the edge I see” he replied. “How’s Ruthie feel about everything?”_

_I shrugged again. “I haven’t told her what really happened. I made up a lame excuse about needing time to unwind as my reason for coming back home”. I looked around me, seeing all the things in the square that had changed in the year that I’d been gone. “They took down the John Wayne statue” I said, nodding with my chin to my left, where the statue had once stood._

_“Yeah, it was vandalized too many times, and they finally decided to just do us all a favor and remove the hideous thing”. He chuckled again.  
John Wayne had lived in Winterset, and a statue of him had been in the center of the town square for as long as I could remember. It had also been subjected to a lot of vandalism from the kids in the town, which spoke to how little there was to actually do here. _

_“Good riddance” I muttered, not knowing what else to say._

_Ryan bumped my shoulder with his own. “How are you, really?”_

_I blew out a burst of air through my mouth. “I’m getting better. I feel empty and lonely, even though I know I have a lot of people out there who care about me. I’m hurt and angry, and can’t understand why this happened. But most of all, I’m shocked. My relationship with Caleb felt real. Everything about it felt so authentic. He became so important to me in such a short amount of time, and things never felt forced. I gave myself to him, in more ways than one, and I felt as if he gave me himself as well. I feel stupid and foolish for not seeing our relationship for what it was; a lie.”_

_“How did it all end?” he asked softly._

_I barked out a bitter laugh. “I overheard him on the phone talking to someone.” I shook my head, not wanting to continue. Not wanting to relive it. Ryan stayed silent, and I knew he was waiting on me to continue. “He mentioned something about_ ‘that not being part of the deal’. _I figured he was talking to his agent, and didn’t want to interrupt, but then I heard him say my name.”._

_“What did he say?” Ryan prodded. I knew he was genuinely curious. Caleb was his best friend, but I was guessing he hadn’t disclosed specifics on how things went down._

_“He said_ ‘You told me to sleep with Mia, and I did. That was the bet. You can’t change the terms of the deal now’. _I kept listening, even though I knew I wouldn’t like what I heard. I managed to piece together that the terms of his ‘bet’ had changed, and now he was supposed to get me to fall in love with him. He confirmed what I thought when he said_ ‘Dude, she’s already in love with me, so I win this bet, fair and square’.” 

_“You’re kidding me?” Ryan asked, looking pained. “That’s… I don’t even know. That’s horrible. I’m so sorry you had to hear all of that Mia. I’m sorry you had to go through that”._

_I nodded. “Me too. The worst part though? He told the person on the other end of the conversation that he wasn’t in love with me, that he never had been. He was doing all of this to prove that he could get anyone to sleep with him.” I paused, feeling a lump rise in my throat. “I feel so stupid” I whispered, feeling the tears slide down my cheeks._

_I stood abruptly. “I’m sorry, you don’t need to be weighed down with all of this. I don’t want to impact your friendship with him in any way. I should go.” I began to walk away when he grabbed my hand._

_“No, Mia, stay. I want to be here for you.”_

_He was still sitting, and pulled me in between his legs. He was tall, and his face was level with mine, even though he still rested on the bench. His hands settled on my hips, holding me in place, and not knowing what to do with my hands, I put them on his shoulders. “I firmly believe that you’re going to be just fine. This hurts now, and you have every right to be upset, but you can’t let that asshole dictate how you move forward. You’re going to get through this, and one day, you’ll look back on this time and not remember how much it hurt”._

_I knew he was right. “You’re right. I just don’t know how to get past this point. How to move forward. I don’t know where to go from here”._

_He shrugged. “You’ll figure it out. I know you will”. He smiled at me, and I felt reassurance in his words. Again, I knew he was right._

_He was looking at me, and I noticed his eyes soften. Before I knew what was happening, he was tugging on my hips, bringing me closer. His gaze flickered to my lips briefly before they touched. He was still, and I found that I couldn’t move. Too many thoughts were going through my head, and I wasn’t sure what was happening. Instinct took over for both of us at the same time, and both of us began to move. He kissed me softly at first; cautiously. When he realized I wasn’t going to pull away, he deepened the kiss, touching first my lips with his tongue before touching it to mine. We continued like that for what felt like ten minutes, but couldn’t have been more than forty-five seconds, before he sucked my bottom lip into his mouth. I felt him moan, his hands moving lower to grip my ass, and I pulled away._

_“Ryan…” I was breathless, and didn’t know what else to say. I touched my lips before meeting his eyes._

_“I’m so sorry Mia! I don’t know what came over me.” He looked flustered and confused himself. “I’ve always wanted to kiss you, and I don’t know why I chose this moment to act on that desire. I’m so sorry. Please. Don’t hold this against me.”_

_I was confused, but I could tell he was genuinely remorseful. “It’s okay. It was just unexpected”._

_He nodded. “Let’s just forget this happened, okay? I think it’ll be for the best”._

_I nodded as well. “Okay”._

_He offered me a sheepish smile and stood, grabbing my hand. “Fuck. I can’t believe I did that”._

_I laughed as we began to walk towards the street where both of our cars were parked._

_“Seriously, don’t worry about it. This is just a weird time”._

_He laughed as well. “That’s an understatement. Just don’t hold this against me, okay?”_

_We had reached our cars at this point, and I had my hand on the door. “Okay”. I smiled again. “It’s okay Ryan, it really is”._

_“Thanks Mia. Things will get better for you, I promise”. He leaned forward to place a kiss on my cheek. “Call me if you need to talk, okay?”_

_I nodded. He squeezed my shoulder before walking to his own car, and I slid behind the wheel of Aunt Ruthie’s old volkswagen. I watched him drive away before dropping my head on the steering wheel, letting out a huge sigh._

_What the hell was I doing?_

My phone vibrated again, signaling five text messages in under five minutes. I moaned, not wanting to deal with anything in the real world, but feeling obligated. As I had suspected, all five messages were from Ryan. We hadn’t spoken since that day, and I had no desire to do so moving forward. I slid the unlock button and glanced at his messages, feeling my heartbeat increase. 

_“Mia, are you up? Someone was in the town square with us the other day.”_

_“Mia, please call me before going online.”_

_“I don’t want you to freak out, but there’s photos of us online. Someone was there and caught our kiss.”_

_“Mia, please, don’t ignore me.”_

_“Mia, we need to talk. Caleb just called me. He saw the photos.”_

“Fuck!” I swore, immediately going online, searching Caleb’s name. If I was online anywhere, it was only because I was associated with him. I clicked on the first link that appeared, and was taken to the website for ACE Media Productions. There, on the front page, under the headline _‘Is Caleb Reinhart in a relationship with a cheater?’_ were three photos of Ryan and I in the town square, looking rather cozy. I grimaced as I saw the photo of our lips locked together. 

_‘How could things possibly get any worse?’_ , I wondered to myself, clicking off my phone and throwing it to the end of the bed.


End file.
